62 pages 2 hours read

Michael Cunningham

Day

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2023

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.

Part 3

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 3: “April 5, 2021, Evening”

Part 3, Pages 199-205 Summary

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses drug addiction and suicidal ideation.

Isabel and Nathan stand on the porch of Isabel’s new home in the woods, which she started renting after separating from Dan. Isabel tells Nathan that he chose a good spot to scatter Robbie’s ashes, but Nathan challenges her on how she knows what Robbie would want. Isabel reminds Nathan that he is not at fault for what happened to Robbie—he was in Iceland when he got sick and had a heart condition—but she knows that, on some level, Nathan blames himself. Nathan points out that Violet also has a heart condition and that she could have died from COVID-19 after their family got it from Harrison and Chad the night they snuck into their house. She knows that she has failed at convincing Nathan not to blame himself, as he turns to go back inside.

Once Nathan is gone, Isabel thinks of how much he has grown up. She thinks of him as in-between childhood and adulthood: Part of him needs reassurance that he is not to blame, while another part of him acts “gruff” like he doesn’t care. Ultimately, she decides that she may drift apart from the Nathan he becomes, but he needs to become that person to forgive himself.

Related Titles

By Michael Cunningham

Plot Summary

logo

A Wild Swan

Michael Cunningham

A Wild Swan

Michael Cunningham

Plot Summary

logo

By Nightfall

Michael Cunningham

By Nightfall

Michael Cunningham

Study Guide

logo

The Hours

Michael Cunningham

The Hours

Michael Cunningham

Plot Summary

logo

The Snow Queen

Michael Cunningham

The Snow Queen

Michael Cunningham

Study Guide

logo

White Angel

Michael Cunningham

White Angel

Michael Cunningham